Complex spatial light modulator and three-dimensional image display apparatus having the same

Abstract

Provided are a complex spatial light modulator and a three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus. The complex spatial light modulator includes a spatial light modulator configured to modulate a phase of light, a first prism array which is disposed after the spatial light modulator along a path of the light, and including prism units each having a first prism surface and a second prism surface, and a hologram optical device configured to diffract the light that has passed through the first prism array independently from a polarization of the light, where the first prism array and the hologram optical device are configured to modulate the phase and an amplitude of the light.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A complex spatial light modulator comprising:
 a spatial light modulator configured to modulate a phase of light; 
 a first prism array which is disposed after the spatial light modulator along a path of the light, and comprising prism units each consisting of a first prism surface and a second prism surface; and 
 a hologram optical device configured to diffract the light independently from a polarization of the light, 
 wherein the first prism array and the hologram optical device are configured to modulate the phase and an amplitude of the light, and 
 wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of pixels, each prism unit faces only two pixels among the plurality of pixels, and the hologram optical device combines first light and second light from the two pixels, respectively, such that a phase and an amplitude of the combined light are modulated together. 
 
     
     
       2. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the first prism surface and the second prism surface respectively comprise a refraction surface configured to refract the light, and the first prism surface and the second prism surface are arranged to be symmetric to each other. 
     
     
       3. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 2 , further comprising a second prism array disposed after the hologram optical device along the path of the light. 
     
     
       4. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 3 , wherein the second prism array has a structure that is symmetric to the first prism array with respect to the hologram optical device. 
     
     
       5. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the first prism surface comprises a diffraction surface configured to diffract the light, and the second prism surface comprises a transmission surface configured to transmit the light in a straight line. 
     
     
       6. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the hologram optical device comprises a plurality of hologram patterns that depend on a wavelength of incident light. 
     
     
       7. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 6 , wherein the complex spatial light modulator is configured to modulate color light by using a time-division method or a spatial division method. 
     
     
       8. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the first prism array comprises a first prism unit, a second prism unit, and a third prism unit, each having different prism angles from each other. 
     
     
       9. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the prism unit has a pitch that corresponds to the two pixels. 
     
     
       10. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the complex spatial light modulator has light efficiency equal to or higher than 50% and equal to or less than 100%. 
     
     
       11. The complex spatial light modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the complex spatial light modulator comprises an electro-opto material having a refractive index configured to change according to an electrical signal. 
     
     
       12. A three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus comprising:
 a light source configured to irradiate light; 
 a spatial light modulator configured to modulate a phase of the light from the light source; 
 an image signal circuit configured to input an image signal to the spatial light modulator; and 
 a beam combiner configured to modulate a phase and an amplitude of the light after the light passes through the spatial light modulator, 
 wherein the beam combiner is disposed after the spatial light modulator along a path of the light, and 
 the 3D image display apparatus comprises:
 a first prism array comprising prism units each consisting of a first prism surface and a second prism surface, and 
 a hologram optical device configured to diffract the light independently from a polarization of the light, 
 
 wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of pixels, each prism unit faces only two pixels among the plurality of pixels, and the hologram optical device combines first light and second light from the two pixels, respectively, such that a phase and an amplitude of the combined light are modulated together. 
 
     
     
       13. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first prism surface and the second prism surface respectively comprise a refraction surface configured to refract the light, and the first prism surface and the second prism surface are arranged to be symmetric to each other. 
     
     
       14. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a second prism array provided after the hologram optical device along the path of the light. 
     
     
       15. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second prism array has a structure that is symmetric to the first prism array with respect to the hologram optical device. 
     
     
       16. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first prism surface comprises a diffraction surface configured to diffract the light, and the second prism surface comprises a transmission surface configured to transmit the light in a straight line. 
     
     
       17. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the hologram optical device comprises a plurality of hologram patterns that depend on a wavelength of incident light. 
     
     
       18. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the complex spatial light modulator is configured to modulate color light by using a time-division method or a spatial division method. 
     
     
       19. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the prism array comprises a first prism unit, a second prism unit, and a third prism unit, each having different prism angles from each other. 
     
     
       20. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the prism unit has a pitch that correspond to the two pixels. 
     
     
       21. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the complex spatial light modulator has a light efficiency in a range equal to or higher than 50% and equal to or less than 100%. 
     
     
       22. The 3D image display apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the complex spatial light modulator comprises an electro-opto material having a refractive index configured to change according to an electrical signal.